Insulated perishable food carton



Oct. 4, 1960 D. B. KAUFFELD 2,954,912

INSULATED PERISHABLE Foon CARTON Filed Aug. 26, 1957 Dona/d B. Kou/feld 1N VENTOR.

INSULATED PERISHABLE FOOD CARTON Donald B. Kauffeld, Lexington, Ky., assigner to Excel-- Therm Container Corporation, Lexington, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky vFiled Aug. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 680,322

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-35) This invention relates, ybroadly construed, to an proved mode of packaging perishable food products for unit consumption at the retail level and has reference in particular to an insulated carton in which the construction is such that important matters of sanitation, practical storage and handling, reliable protection of food quality, and satisfactory display land identification factors have not only been taken into account but effectually met.

As will perhaps ybe evident from the preceding general statement of the nature of Ithe subject matter of the invention, an insulated car-ton is under consideration wherein hot, cold or frozen products are involved and are kept for a limited time, say during transportation and similar handling steps, without the use of a refrigerant or a heating agent, as the case may be.

Current trends toward widespread adoption and use of insulated yfood packages and cartons in which the principal package components are aluminum foil laminates have long since been recognized and tested and otherwise experimented with. Such packaging achievements have made it possible for manufacturers to cope with the continuing demands -for individual consumer unit packaging and merchandising. Manufacturers and retailers of hot and cold -food products advocate the appropriation and use of attractive and eye-catching cartons in this category `for a number of reasons; for example, looking toward protection against deleterious effects .of light and moisture, hoping to provide a carton having resist-ance to physical `damage and such that it will insure maintenance of the prerequisites of product quality. Identification media, involving colors, styling and provision for trademarks and printed matter, may be incorporated and successfully utilized wherever necessary or required. A desire to keep .abreast of efficient packaging needs has been the incentive in the instant matter, looking toward .advancing the carton and container art.

More explicitly, the instant concept pertains to a laminated container or carton which is expressly, but not necessarily, designed and `adapted to serve `as a takehome-type carton for ice cream. As hereinafter revealed, -it is my objective to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve .on cartons in the stated category in which the package needs and functions are efficaciously satisfied.

Looking .toward giving a background and `to help to bring the results of the instant development into focus, certain information on package classification is thought to be proper here. Using containers and cartons somewhat synonymously, three .general classifications, somewhat arbitrary in definition, are commonly referred to in the trade. That is to say, they arey (l) so-called rigid cartons and containers or packages, for example, bottles, cans, jars, and the like. Secondly, .a package or container Which will support its own Weight including the product, and yetfwhich is such that it may be cle-formed or 2,954,9l2 Patented ocr, 4, reso collapsed and which may or may not conform precisely to the shape of the product 'are (2) lthe so-called semirigid types. The principal example would be cartons. Finally, there are the so-called containers which do not support their weigh-t and which collapse, such as bags, overwraps, loose liners and so on, referred as (3) the flexible package.

The invention under advisement falls in the semi-rigid group and relates, as already stated, to a carton and although the idea involves protecting hot, cold and frozen food products, it will simplify the entire presentation to keep in mind that Ithe principal .aspect of the concept is what is to 'be hereinafter referred to as `an ice cream carton.

In packaging ice cream, it is generally conceded that the packaging materials which are selected for commercialization purposes markedly influence quality retention during storage in self-service refrigerating cabinets or wherever heat exchange at room temperature is involved. For the most part, cartons commonly used and which are paraffin coated are customarily referred to `as fibre cartons. However, and in the .course of research and with a view toward retarding shrinkage and protecting and preserving the .body texture .and keeping qualities of ice cream, many and varied packaging techniques and procedures have been resorted to. In the course of experiments, in comparison with waxed fibre and plastic containers, all-aluminum packages and fibre containers with foil overwraps or laminate exteriors have been found .to eifect-ually retard body and texture deterioration and to minimize shrinkage even where ice cream is stored one month at top level open-top and sliding glass top selfservice merchandizing cabinets. The value of the exteriorly covered laminate using `foil resides in its ability to reflect radiant heat. It has been shown that foil exteriors conduct absorbed heat to lower colder sections of `a cabinet where it is dissipated. Some packages and cartons are .overwrapped in 4foil and others have laminated foil interiors .and liners and various ways of incorporating insulators have been used and are known.

The objective in the instant case is rto utilize a composite sheet material which is formed or fashioned into a carton and wherein the conductive and radiant reflective characteristics or properties of the -foil are especially effective in maintaining the lowest expected temperature in ice cream at the top level of a self-service cabinet, where under recognized circumstances heat absorption is usually the greatest.

As will be hereinafter evident, the improved carton revealed has to ydo with an aluminum laminated container which, in practice, shows that the same taste appeal attending ice cream packed in metal cans in bulk form is had. Interior and exterior surfaces are plastic coated for taste .and flavor retention.

Secondly, the containers require less freezing time -iu the hardening room, create a double freezing action ,which .eliminates ice crystals and dehydration. Protection against heat shock, shrinkage in transportation and handling in self-service cabinets, and undue warm-up has been achieved.

In addition, the containers or cartons devised deflect 82% of heat and light, resulting in effective insulating and maintenance of quality vfrom the store to the home. They 4insure better keeping qualit-ies in the home refrigerator plus the advantage of .a re-usable container for frozen foods.

The above and many other features and advantages will .become more readily apparent from the following description, the views of the drawing and the concluding claims.

`In the'drawing, wherein llike numerals are employed to designatelikeparts 'throughout'the views:

Fig. l is la perspective view of an ice cream box, carton or container, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention showing the same empty but -rnade and *ready for use. Y y

. qFiggg Yis a Vhorizonta-l "sectiondn anexaggeijatedszale, taken on *th'eho'rizo'ntl line y:2;2 '-of Fig. 1,1looking in theirctiontof the arrows. n

Fig 3 'is a 'further-exaggerated view showing *the laminat'es or plies of'materi-al bondedtogether to provide xthe B-"ply l-plastic coated sheet material from which-all components of the carton are made.

Fig z5 is an exaggerated section on the line 5-5 `of As the Views of `the dnawing clearly depict, the ice 'reain carton las an entity `is denoted in Fig. 1, "forexample, by the numeral 8. Cartons vary `in size and shape and Weight, and therefore the expression ycarton is being used here 'to make reference l'to the whole range also to ski-called packagesycontlainers, boxes, andso on, yin 'the aforementioned semi-rigid category only, of source. For'this and other reasons it seems unnecessary '.to 'dwell upon what the carton looks like or how it is constructed except 'that the wa'lls or components are fdlded, creas`ed and formed and secured together to form ja container. Of chief significance, yas alreadymentioned, is the fact .that the composite sheet material which lis used rin. providing the component walls, flaps or 'parts of the container is of chie'fest interest here.

'The components or walls ofthe carton are all the sante, 'and consequently 1the'basic material which'rnay 'be 'referred to as linsulated'laminated or `Vsheet material is the same 'throughout and any portion Vor section thereof wiild be of 'thecross-s'ection seen, for'example, in Fig, f3. As "an entity, the material 'is denoted `by the numeral '1'0. ltljis characterized by yan outer or exterior ply or :laminate of aluminumfoil 12, by a corresponding 'inner laminate or layer of aluminum 'foil 14, and 'an intervening 'body Fig. '21, lookingin the 'direction Aof the arrows.

'layerforlaminat'e 16. The latter is of paper'stock, more 'ties `and also to promote 'the requisite c'ornpressibly resilient properties so needed iny making it possible to "produce 'a 'laminated material which may range Afrom 18 points `:to `32 points and which, consequently, lends -itself vtofo'lding,*creasing and forming into containers. In vaddition, 'it lends itself to scoring, die-cutting and 'to many styles and forms. Consequently, a novel laminated insulated f'blankis had. \F1`1`rther,`it lends itself to printing either on offset or letter press or rotogravure. Even th'ou'g'hthedeadair cells are'compressed during the printingoperation,l :they expand 'much ,in the mnner that a cushion would Vdo after 'the printing, `and despite 'this change in the material "while being squeezed, it does 'not aiect ythe intended insulation properties "before or after printing. So "far asis known, Lthe provision ofy abody layer 16 havin'gth'ese properties `and sandwiched 'between :alu'rrii'num 'foil cover plies is novel, especially wherein "the 'exterior surfaces of the `foil plies are` coatedfvvith commercial plastics or a iilm of plastic material denoted atf'Sfand 2t), respectively. rlhus 'constructedthe matelria'l eliminatesfprecipitation `formation on Kthe exterior ofthe container :which would tend to destoy'the reilecting property sosorelydepended upon. Experiments have shown `'that 'after the yvinyl polymer coats are fappli'ed, tests reveal `0.01 instead of 0.29 havingnto do with'water vaporftransinission Aof thi-n 'aluminum foils. Consequently, tihe 'sheet materialy employed Ais pa'ctioally .moisture proof.

4 It is also to be noted, particularly in `Figs. 4 and 5,

that during the course of manufacture and While transforming the material into a box, the inner foil lamination and plastic coating is punctured at 22 to expose a minimal portion 24 of the ply of insulation 16. By way of these punctured portions at prescribed points, particularly where the end flap 26 is bent at 28 land folded over and against the surface 30 of the wall 32, this makes for proper bonding of the surfaces. 'Bonding plastic to plastic would be exteremly ditlcult. However, by providing exposed .portiorisl"of the insulation `material 26, it can be seen that `the adhesive-media (not detailed) results inproviding astrong-bond and resistance -to'moisture and air leakage.

As indicated earlier, aluminum, foil, when coated with proper plastic media providing-a s'atis'f'actory'lm surface, may be printed 'by any commercial processes yused on ilexible packaging materials. Taking into account and meeting press and use requirements for displaying advertising isa highly significant factor in turning ,out `proper material `for production of ran ice cream carton, as "is' obvious.

Minor variations in'carryingthe invention-intopractice which 'do not depart from the spiritof Athe concept or properly evaluatedy scope'of the claims may be `resorted to vin'pract-ice. l

What'isclaimed vas newis as'follows:

ll. 'For use inpackagin'g, storing in'refrigeration cabifnets, when being transported, and when otherwise Yhandlin'g hot, cold, or frozen food products for unit con- "sumptiom a foil-cladsemi-rigid carton whose wall 'portions and'componentportions Vare constructed from ilexible, foldable laminated 'sheet material embodying interior and 'exteriorsurface-covering thin imperforate aluminum foil laminates and a 'semi-rigid laminate of insulation material sandwiched between said foil laminates, said `foil laminates being spread and atly superimposed upon and'bonded'to opposite'but respectively adjacent sides of .said insulated laminate, the entire inner and outer vstirfaces and 'body'portion'of the latterhaving a .myriad of non-communicating 'dead air cells, said inner and outer surfaces covered'by'the foil laminates and providing 'cov- 'ered dead `air`pock`ets, andsadfoil laminates-having prerequisite conductive and radiant heat reflective propertiesfunctioning'to maintain the lowesttemperature possible Whe`n said carton lhas been stored at upper'levels in lself-service refrigeration cabinets and the like.

'2. The structure defined in claim 1, and wherein said intermediate laminate comprises a prefabricated ply Aof compre'ss'ibly' resilient blotter stock, the `complete sheet material product being produced -in thicknesses ranging from l8. ,points to 32 points, whereby to adapt itself-to feasible folding, creasing, scoring, die-cutting and varyingfprinting.pressandprinting requirements Without losingits Vgiven original form and character.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein said intermediate laminate isa ply'or bulked-up blotter-stock and ywhich as a Vresult ofthe bulking-up process apprecia- :blynnd materiallymultiples the number of available and usable dead V.air cells, ypromotes compressibility Without -deviating from body strength necessary -to provide the psemilrigidproperties needed, and provides the compressi- -bly resilient properties that can'andmustbe 'reliedupon for wide range printing needs.

4.`f=For=use'npackaging, storing inrefrigerati'on cabinets, when being `transported and when otherwise 1handlinghot, cold,for `frozen-'food products for `unit=fcon 's'lilnptiong v'afoil-'clad semi-rigid carton whose lwall-and other cartonfornii'ng components are constructed from 'larnint'ed vsheet I material embodying interior and exterior v"surface#covering thin'alurninumfoil laminates 'anda sinfgle 'semi-rigid v'larnin'at'e of insulation vmaterial sand- Vvi/i'clied-tnerelet'ween,said foil laminatesbeing spread and superimposedjuponand bonded to their-respective `surfaces of said insulated laminate, the cooperating bonded surfaces of the several laminates providing a myriad of non-communicating dead air cells, and said foil laminates having prerequisite conductive and radiant heat reilective properties so as to maintain the lowest temperature possible when said carton is stored at upper levels in selfservice refrigeration cabinets and the like, said intermediate laminate being characterized by a single ply of compressibly resilient bullied-up blottcr stock, the exposed exterior surfaces of the aluminum foil being coated, each with a lm of negligible thickness, the vinyl polymer plastics, rendering the surfaces substantially moisture-proof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Reynolds June 4, 1935 Moore Sept. 10, 1940 Schmied Feb. 9. 1943 Cage June 22, 1943 Paulsen Nov. 10, 1953 Spiess July 6, 1954 Magill Nov. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS France Dec. l, 1939 

